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Europe launches 2 satellites

Berlin - The European Space Agency says two satellites for its new global navigation system have been lifted into orbit aboard a modified Soyuz rocket.

Friday's launch from Kourou, French Guiana, had been delayed by a day due to bad weather.

Once the two satellites are fully deployed, ESA will have six of the 30 planned satellites in orbit for its Galileo system.

The agency hopes Galileo will provide far greater precision for satellite navigation systems than the US GPS system used the world over to pinpoint locations and plot routes.

ESA officials said on Wednesday they were investigating a problem with one of the four Galileo satellites already in orbit that has required them to reduce the strength of its signal. A decision on modifying future satellites hasn't been taken.

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